Brotherly Love
by LookAboveYou
Summary: Jackson Overland will have NO ONE messing with his little sister. You touch her, you die, basically. Sometimes older siblings can get a little bit carried away. * *A series of oneshots dedicated to Jack and his sister.
1. Chapter 1: Brotherly Love

Brotherly Love

The cold of the night air stung his lungs as his body panted,

the adrenaline now slowing in his veins. He looked up, scowling at the sky for it being such a late hour. Jackson didn't intend to stay out that long, but the kid had proved to give quite the fight. He timidly touched his eye, feeling the inflammation already. He would certainly have a black eye tomorrow.

'_What would Ma think? What would Pa do?'_ the thoughts crossed his mind with a streak of worry. But he didn't care. He was being the role he was born to be, the big brother. And no one, NO ONE messes with his sister.

Hearing the groans behind him, he set his jaw as anger once again flooded his entire being. He ignored the painful scuffling his opponent did behind him, walking away for home. Dang it, Tom's pa would have it in for him. He could just see the door on their cabin bowing from the force of the pounding that would beat upon the outside tomorrow morning. Maybe even in the middle of the night. Depends on how angry Tom's pa would get. And then there would be the lecture from his own father, the trip behind the woodshed, and the sound of his father's belt being stripped off as he faced the wooden wall.

Hopping over the fence that lines the outskirts of the sheep pen, he determined that he didn't give a dang. Give him a whipping! He settled the matter himself anyway. Tom wouldn't be doing that anymore.

Taking long strides across the field, Jack passed through the sheep, their bleating a soothing salve to his pricked nerves. "Hey, Milly. Snoozy, come on, you stay over here. Snaffle, Bert, quit fighting!" he whispered.

The sheep all gathered around him, the presence of their master being the classic sign of there being food in the nearest future. "No no, we're not going out. It's too late."

Jack reached the gate, swinging it open just enough to squeeze his thin hips through. "_Ssshhhhhhhh_!" He hissed furiously at the sheep. The gate shut with a clink, and Jack trudged up the little hill to the barn.

The lantern and matches were still under the horse blanket just as he had placed it earlier. Striking a match, he lit the wick and a flame immediately flooded the area he was in. The light made the horses' eyes shine a golden eerie luminance as they turned their heads to him, reminding Jack of the eyes in the darkness of the woods he sometimes saw. He shivered, casting the thought from his head. The cows gave a lazy moo, their tails flopping side to side in anticipation. The horses gave a nicker.

"It's too late to eat, folks," Jack chuckled, giving them a pat on their muzzles as he walked past them.

He walked over to the corner Pa had his equipment, and bent down to the plow's shiny blade. Holding the light closer to the blade, he squinted as it showed his reflection. "Aw dang it," he muttered, moving his long brown bangs from his eyes to reveal a puffy red eye, swollen almost completely shut. "Ma's not gonna like this."

Jack shook his hair, throwing the dirt that caked it in all directions. He grabbed a work cloth that Pa used to wipe his hands with after milking, dunking it into the water trough and wringing it out. He wiped the dirt off his face and the sweat from his neck, closing his eyes at the feel of the cool water. Tossing the rag over the plow handle, he pulled up the collar of his white cotton shirt enough to dry his face. The cat began curling around his bare feet, purring and scratching up at his pant legs for attention. Jack brought a hand down, scooping her up into his arms. "Not like it's anything new though, huh Tabitha?" Lantern in one hand, cat in the other, Jack left the barn, pushing the door shut with his foot.

The stars were brilliantly shining tonight. Not a cloud traced the sky, and the trees made not a sound. A bright, round, pale moon looked down at the teenager, it's beams providing enough light for Jack to maneuver around the yard. He passed Ma's garden, heading around to the back of the house where his window was. Letting the cat down, he blew out the light and pulled the lantern handle up to his elbow, grabbing the limb of the tree that grew behind the house. Hoisting himself up with ease, he climbed until he reached the second floor of the house, the attic, which served as he and his sister's bedroom. He lightly rapped his knuckles on the window.

Almost immediately, a candle flickered on, his sister's face coming into view at the window. "Pippa!" he whispered against the window, his breath making fog on the pane.

She set the candle down, reaching to push the window up. "Jack, where were you? You're gonna get in trouble if Pa catches you again!"

The brown eyed boy leapt through the window, planting his feet on the wooden floor. He chuckled, "Relax, little lady. I had to take care of some business."

"This isn't about Tom earlier, is it?"

Jack froze at his sister's brilliance. Calmly untying his leather cape, he walked right past her. "Maybe."

He heard her sigh as she tugged on his this leather vest. "Jack, why? It wasn't a big deal. I got over it."

Jack whipped around, brown meeting brown. "Nobody treats my sister like that. NObody."

Pippa's eyes darted back and forth at his, a form of shock making her hold her breath. Jack slowly exhaled, realizing how harsh he reacted. "I'm sorry. Tom just really set me off."

Pippa casped as the light caught the eye under his bangs. "Your eye!"

Jack's hand flew to it in reaction. "Yeah, well. If you think this is bad, you should see the other guy."

"That's not funny, Jack," she said firmly, pulling his hand down. "You better have a good explanation for Ma in the morning."

Jack straightened and moved to his side of the room. Pa had set up a curtain to divide the room for the siblings' privacy. He had built the house before Pippa came along, not counting on the fact that he might need more than one bedroom. Consequently, Jack had a little girl invade his personal space. But he didn't mind one bit... well, most of the time anyway. Jack tossed his winter cape to the floor, plopping on the straw mattress. "Yeah well, I don't think there's any gettin' by this one easily."

Pippa pulled the curtain over a little more. "I wasn't meaning that you should lie, Jack. I thought you stopped that."

A grin sketched across his face. "Mostly. There's a couple of white ones thrown in here and there."

Pippa shook her head, pressing down her white nightgown. "You're trouble, Jack."

He turned to look at his little sister. She stood there as cute as a button, her brown hair messy from having been asleep a few hours earlier, her cotton nightgown reaching her toes, and her big brown eyes highlighted by the candle she held. She was the spittin' image of himself, only in the female version.

A loud pounding on wood caused them both to jump, Jack startled from the bed. They stood there, peering for any indication of what made the noise, the truth suddenly hitting Jack. His palm pressed against his forehead. Here it comes.

"Jack?" Pippa said, her voice worried and edged with fear. "It's not an attack is it?"

Jack shook his head, making his way towards the ladder. "No, Pippa. Stay here." She watched as his head disappeared down the hole to the rest of the house.

Jack landed right in front of Ma, her hands flailing as she stopped herself just short of running into him. "Sorry, Ma!" He apologized.

His Pa's voice floated through the cabin as the door squeaked open. "Mr. Butler. What in tar nation are you doin' poundin' on my door at this late hour?"

Jack looked from over his shoulder back to Ma, worry suddenly building in his chest. Her eye caught his and she grabbed his shoulders. "Jackson Overland, I have a good mind to whoop you right now, even though I don't know what you did yet." Her white sleeping cap bobbed as she shook her head, brushing past him.

Jack inwardly groaned, reluctantly tugging himself around to the door where both his parents stood in their nightdresses. "I would like to speak with yer boy, Bennet," he heard the voice rasp from the other side of the door.

"What do ya need Jack for?" Pa asked. "He's asleep upstairs, and you got me right here for what ya need."

"Oh, he's asleep eh? That's what he wants you to think! Onnacounta he took a trip over to my place and beat up my boy!" Ma's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"Beat ol' Tom up, huh? Well, I suppose he needs to get down here and do some explainin'."

"I'm right here, Pa," Jack ventured, raising his hand behind them. His parents turned to face him, disappointment heavily hitting their faces as they took in his appearance. His clothes were messy, his brown hair tousled, and his eye red and fat. All a dead giveaway. There wasn't even a point in trying to cover it up.

"What did ye do, boy?" Pa asked in a quiet, stunned voice.

Jack felt the thick spit slowly make its way down his throat. "Um... Well... Me and Tom got in a fight."

His Pa crossed his arms, speculation in his now flaming eyes. "You 'got in a fight'? Son, you don't just get into fights in the middle of the night."

"He was being a jackass earlier!" Jack retorted.

"That is no excuse to go beating up on people," Ma was just as angry as the men. "What happened?"

Mr. Butler crossed his thick, muscular arms, making sweat bead on Jack's forehead. He thought quickly, not wanting Pippa involved as much as he could prevent it. "Earlier he.. Threw a rock at me after school. I would've given it to him right there, but then Teacher came out and broke us up. Tom told me to meet him at his place tonight when everyone was in bed, and I took him up on his offer." He inwardly congratulated himself. The lie was perfectly reasonable.

Pa rubbed his face in frustration. "Jackson, you're the jackass. Apologize to Mr. Butler!"

Jack straightened, sticking his chest out in a personal act of defiance. "I'm sorry, Mr. Butler. But only 'cause my Ma and Pa want me to be." He watched the man's jaw tighten as he gaped in astonishment, Jack's Ma suddenly grabbing the teen by the ear.

"You, Jackson Overland, are in so much trouble!" She dragged him, whining and groaning in pain, into the house, plopping him right down on a hard wooden chair at the table.

"I apologize, Mr. Butler, for my son. He was just bein' a boy and clownin' around. And I'm sure Tommy-boy has hardly any more of an excuse than that," he heard his Pa's voice say.

"Alright, Mr. Bennet. But I want that boy of yours at my place tomorrow to chop the wood Tom was going to do. We need firewood for the winter, and with Tom's busted arm, he can't do nothin' but lie there still the Doc said."

'_Busted arm?' _Jack thought. '_Whoa_.'

"He'll come. I need him to take the sheep out to the west paddock, and then he'll be over directly."

"Much obliged, Bennet. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Hal."

They heard the door click shut. Jack looked up to his ma and cringed. The look on her face was enough to send the boogeyman out from under the bed and head for the hills. "Jackson, I'm very disappointed in you."

His head bowed as shame crept into his heart. "I'm so sorry, Ma. But I had to do it."

"All for a petty strap of pride," Pa said, coming into the kitchen.

Tears pricked the boys eyes as he gracefully took the blows. "I know, Pa. That was wrong of me, and I shouldn't have done it."

Pa slumped into his chair at the head of the table. His greying hair curled at the base of his neck, his beard full and thick for warmth during the winter. He spread a worn hand out, thick and calloused by the farm work he did his whole life. The crows feet at his eyes never smoothed out these days, adding to the leather exterior his face now had, tanned from the sun. "Why, Jack?.. Why do you have to get yerself into so much trouble?"

Jack slowly blinked, moving the edge of his shirt material inbetween his fingers in nervous habit. "I had good reason for what I was doin', Pa."

The older man sighed, his own brown eyes set on Jack's as he pondered the boy. "I believe ya, Jack."

Jack's head snapped up, surprised at his Pa's words. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again in shock, finding he had nothing to reply.

Pa shifted in his chair. "I don't understand you, but I believe you. You're a good young man, and a hard worker."

Jack felt the tears pool at the brim of his lids, blinking quickly to push them back. His Pa just commented on him being a man, and he was going to cry? Pft, what a baby.

"Tomorrow though," Pa stood up, leaning his hip against the table's edge. "I'll meet you at daybreak at the back of the woodshed. Just because you're forgiven doesn't mean ya didn't do nothin' wrong."

Jack hung his head again, biting his lip.

"And after that, you got a long hard day ahead of ya. So, ya best get to sleep." The man walked past Jack, ruffling his hair affectionately as he walked by.

Jack grinned, despite the promise of the punishment he had in store for him. But he swallowed his pride and set his chin up. He did it for his sister, for Pippa. And he was going to take the heat with dignity.

Ma walked over to her boy and put her hand on his cheek. She looked down into his face a moment, most likely examining his swollen eye. Shaking her head, a smile cracked at the corners of her mouth and she leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Turn down the oil lamp on your way to bed."

"Goodnight, Ma," Jack called after her when she left. He sighed softly, leaning his head back against the chair. Mission accomplished. Remembering Pippa probably still awake upstairs, he jumped up, blew out the light, and crawled up the ladder to the loft. He found her laying face down into her pillow, her shoulders shaking. "Pippa!"

He rushed to her side, placing his hands tenderly on her shoulders, shaking slightly. "Pippa? Hey... What's the matter?"

He heard her sniff in the pillow before she lifted her head, immediately covering her face with her hands. "Hey.." His voiced cracked, softened at her sobbing. He gently took her hands into his, poking his head down into her face to get her to look at him.

"Jack," she sobbed, giving him one glance before retreating into his shirt.

A worried frown furrowed Jack's face as he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. "Pippa, tell me now. You're scaring me." She wiped her face again, mumbling into his shirt. Jack rolled his eyes, "I can't hear you."

She sniffed again, finally breaking away from him to face him. "Jack, you-.. You're in trouble now, because of me."

Jack's eyes widened. "No! No no no, Pippa, don't blame yourself."

She clenched her fists together. "No! It's true!"

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I was protecting you. I'm your brother, it's my job. I hold no regrets about it."

"But Tom probably lied about what you did to him, and there is no way he would ever tell the whole truth. And now you're in big trouble."

Jack waved his arms in the air. "That's his problem! Now me, I have a clear conscience. I had good reason for beating him up." He smirked, everything that he did to the boy his age replaying in his mind. "Besides, he probably couldn't lie about what I did to him. He had the proof of it."

Pippa's eyes widened. "... _Was it that bad?_"

Fighting back the evil chuckle he wanted to utter, he only nodded. "Yup."

She whistled through her teeth. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Jack scooped her closer to him. "I would never do anything to you remotely close to what I did to him."

Pippa sighed. "But he only pulled my hair and called me a few names."

"He got everything he deserved," Jack said with finality.

The wind whistled past the window, making the cabin creak and snap in places. Pippa's breath blew softly through Jack's shirt, steady and warm. He shivered as his hair bristled at the cold that started to nip around them. His eyes slowly closed as the silence filled their hearing.

"I made him do it, you know.."

Jack snapped awake, looking down at Pippa. "Hm? What, I didn't hear that." She hesitated, making him frown in confusion and flap his arms to nudge her. "Come on, bugger, tell me."

"I made Tom pull my hair and call me names."

Jack blinked in surprise. "Pippa... you beat all. Don't blame yourself about any of this. It isn't your fault."

She frowned. "But it is!"

"How so?" He asked, a smirk adorning his face.

She sighed sharply. "Tom was standing there talking to Billy and Toby, and I made a snowball and threw it right at his face. He got mad, but then kind of ignored it. And so when we had lunch, I switched our lunches. Again, he didn't notice much difference. So, I found a snake under a rock and put it in the outhouse right before he went in. He blew up at that point, which is when you walked over to see him yelling and pulling my hair."

Jack's face fell emotionless, his eyes wide and shocked.

Pippa's face fell in shame. "I was sick of him being a bully and took it as an opportunity to tell him off." She slowly looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes. But to her surprise, Jack burst out laughing.

"Pippa! You're a regular old trickster!" He heehawed as loud as he dared, planting his face into her pillow to muffle his laughter at one point to prevent waking his parents. When he was through, he slowly sighed, rolling over onto his back and holding out his arm. Pippa laid down next to him. "Oh Pippa... I have taught you well."

She giggled, nuzzling into his side. It wasn't too long before he heard her quiet snores occupy her steady breathing. Jack smiled, turning his face toward the window. The moon was big and bright in the dark sky, it's craters making out a face that smiled down on him. He chuckled softly, closing his eyes. He certainly had a lot going on tomorrow: a whipping behind the woodshed, moving the sheep, chopping the wood, helping Pa tend to the farm, and squeezing in time to goof around.

His eyes suddenly shot open, the reality dawning on him and fear slowly creeping up his spine in tingles of dread.

He was getting a whipping in the morning.

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*G*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**Being an older sister, I take everything you do to my siblings personal. I spotted this plot bunny. So, I grabbed a carrot and caught it. And here ya go, folks. I'm debating whether or not to continue. Let me know how ya like it, and we'll see. **

**Btw, I'm not sure what Jack's sister's name is. So I went with "Pippa" because of what wiki said about it. And as usual (*sob*) I don't own anything here. **

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review? :) **


	2. Chapter 2: Hide and Go RUN

"99...100! Ready or not, here I come!" Jackson paused and scanned the area to see if his yell had caused anything to stir. His brown eyes glistened with excitement, sure that his shouting may have troubled her enough to jump out, scream, or something. However the woods remained silent, untouched and full of leaves. Pippa was a good hider; she wasn't going to reveal her spot so soon.

The leaves crunched under his bare feet as he walked. Autumn had just set in, and it was at that inbetween kind of weather, where the sun can't make up its mind to shine or not, and the cold and heat have epic battles against each other everyday. Today, the warmth won obviously, so he didn't bother to put on his long underwear that morning or his leather cape. Why lug around things that only make you itch if you don't need them?

Jack peeked behind a giant rock, grinning when there was no one behind it. She had chosen a really good spot this time. Hide-and-go-seek was one of their favorite games. No matter what the weather, they always managed to work it out somehow. If it was raining, they camouflaged themselves with mud. If it was snowing, they brought a blanket and buried themselves in the snow. And of course, pleasant weather provided all sorts of good hiding spots, which Jack chocked up for the disappearance of his little sister. He spotted a particularly large, round tree. Grinning like a madman, he tiptoed over to it and grabbed its bark..

"GOTCHA!" he yelled around it to an empty space, then groaned, rolling his eyes away from the tree. Good heavens, he was going to have to get more creative.

Pippa was older now. Seven years old, he could scarcely believe it. She picked hiding spots almost as good as his these days. He remembered when he had to pretend he couldn't find her, slowly sneaking to other areas around where she hid (rather obviously) and exclaiming in fake disappointment at not finding her. He would hear her giggle, convinced that he could never find her and that she had won the game. Most of the time, this was the case. But when she learned the tricks to hide-and-seek though as she grew, her hiding spots became harder to find and less obvious. As was the case today.

"Pippa!" Jack called out, cupping his hands over his mouth. "Ma says she made doughnuts!" He smirked, eagerly waiting for her reply. He could just see her appear from behind a tree, running up to him with those big brown eyes asking about what kind of doughnuts she made. And then he would have to look sorry and apologize for tricking her while she whined about it not being fair. But she never said a word. '_Dang, she really IS getting good,_' he thought. So much for being able to trick her anymore into talking.

Jack kicked at the leaves, closing his eyes as they flew up and then fell around him. The wind lightly blew through his hair, ruffling the brown stands over his eyes. A bird squawked from above him, peaking his interest enough to try and find where it was coming from. He looked up and saw the hawk circling above the trees to the west. Maybe Pippa had ventured into its territory, the overprotective bird swooping to the rescue of his trespassed home. He had found her many times in that direction before, so he thought he might as well give it a go.

He wished he had his staff. His hand felt empty without it. Jack usually carried it around when he went anywhere, not necessarily just for safety, but out of habit. He felt not completely whole without it. Being a shepherd boy, he spent most of his time tending the sheep, meaning he had his staff to lean and pull sheep away from trouble with. They were off in the pasture today under Pa's care though. They had a visitor who was interested in starting a sheep farm, and had volunteered to take over Jack's position for the day for practice.

Hearing a sudden cry, Jack was snapped out of his thoughts. He stopped dead in his tracks and whipped his head toward the sound. It was coming from the direction he was headed to. His breath hitched in his throat, his feet instantly bolting forward as a ball of dread grew in the pit of his stomach. Pippa better not be tricking him... Then again, she was doing the hiding, and he was doing the seeking. That wouldn't make sense.

Losing his sense of direction momentarily, he paused to listen. And before he could doubt it ever happened, there it was again, the shrill and frightened scream. Jack started towards it, his gut twisting and churning at the worst imaginations of what he might find. He came to the top of the hill, the trees suddenly dropping along with the ground as it slid in a steep slope to a lower level. Jack's heart stopped as his eyes scanned to the bottom of the hill..

Pippa was surrounded by coyotes. She stood there, her back against a tree, whimpering in pure fear as tears streamed down her little cheeks. One of the five coyotes was crawling closer to her, its fangs bared and spit drooling from its black lips.

The sound of the snarl ripped into Jack's chest, yanking out all sense of reason from him. Before he could even think, his mind went completely blank and he let out a furious yell, setting his eyes on the coyote and running straight at it. Down the hill he sped, reaching it faster than he ever could imagine doing in his right mind. In one quick movement, he grabbed ahold of its tail and swung it around smack against a tree. The coyote howled in pain, whining as it hit the ground. The other coyotes jumped on Jack with no hesitation, triggered by the sudden action.

Leaves were disheveled and blew around in all directions as Jack attacked the coyotes in a blind fury. He grabbed one's leg and rose it sideways up into the air, hearing a snap as gravity pushed down on the rest of its body. With the other hand, he grabbed another's ear and yanked its jaws away from clamping on his head. He twisted around, just in time to see one pounce at him, bringing his knee up right into its jaw and kicking it off. The fight felt almost unreal, like he was detached from his body and yet able to react to every attempt the coyotes had in sinking their teeth into him.

"Pippa! Run!" he screamed above the barking, the idea of a coyote getting her while he fought sending an electricity of fear through his body. "_Run_!"

Jack caught the glimpse of her hair flying in the wind as she ran into the woods, away from the fight. Thankful that she left without arguing, he kept the coyotes busy for a few minutes to give her a head start, it feeling as if it were hours. His mind spun wildly, the sweat pouring and slapping as he slung his thin body around. His feet felt the dirt cake under his toenails as they shuffled and danced in this dangerous tango. He had fought off these hideous beats before to protect the sheep, but that was only two dogs at the most. Five was coming close to looking impossible. Jack could feel the fiery bolts of energy slow in his muscles as the time dragged on. He wasn't a buff, strong boy like that guy Carl from school was, he was just a thin twig running on pure fear. But he kept going, waiting for the right time to get loose, and knowing that every second he kept them busy he gave to Pippa for her escape. Finally, at one point, he noticed a wolf limping towards him from the tree, another stumbling along with it, one shaking its head to keep its wits, and the other two suddenly kicked off as he rammed into them. Jack ran for it.

He zipped into the direction Pippa went, his eyes searching earnestly for his little sister. She was still so small, her legs short and stubby, so she couldn't have gotten far. Rounding the side of a hill, he spotted her, stumbling and crying face-first into the leaves. He never slowed for even a second, reaching his arms out and scooping her tiny body into his arms. He felt her instantly claw him, crying out from the sudden movement.

"Shh! Shh! It's okay!" he whispered into her hair, the stolen breath from his lungs making his voice calm and soothing.

The teen continued to run, all feeling now lost in his legs. His feet were numb to the rocks that he jumped on and slipped over. Pippa's arms clenched tighter around his neck as he quickly regained his balance. They came to a small creek, the water being parted into the air straight up on either side of them as Jack trod through it, reminding him very briefly of Moses and the Red Sea. When they made it to the other side, he stopped, instantly turning around and yelling in utter frustration. The coyotes were right on his tail down about a quarter of a mile away. All that fighting and then running, all for nothing! They still were going at it at full speed! But the energy in his thin body was gone, the adrenaline run out. And he knew it. He looked over to the hill that rose from the ground about a long, tedious mile away... then down at Pippa, sweat from his forehead streaming into his eyes.

"Pippa... Baby, I can't... I can't-.. Go on..." he panted heavily, his lungs burning with fire. He suddenly collapsed to his knees. "Oh no," he gasped under his breath. His body was literally giving out on him.

The little girl whimpered. "But Jack, we have to! You have to!"

Defeat slowly leaked into his mind, the feeling of being still served as a wave of cool relief flooding his entire body. The idea of just laying down sounded so good... But he had Pippa.

"Pippa.. Go. Now. ... Our house is right over there, right over the hill. You're strong, you can make it.. Go get Pa, I'll keep the coyotes distracted.."

She grabbed his collar and tugged on it hard. "No! They'll eat you! You won't get home!"

Jack found himself chuckling weakly, still out of breath. "That's the idea, lil' lady. I'll stall them while you get to safety.. I'm just so tired, darlin'... I don't think I can make it." He swallowed, his limbs shaking uncontrollably as he placed her feet on the ground, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I can't carry you anymore. Look, I can barely stand now. I can't get you there in time, the coyotes will get us... Go on. Run home, you can make it in time. Go before they see you!"

Pippa's nose scrunched like it always did when she was angry. "NO, Jack! I'm NOT leaving you!" She pushed his arms off and grabbed his white cotton shirt, pulling it out from being tucked in his pants as she heaved Jack forward. Not gaining any progress, she reset her grip on his shirt, pulling so hard she fell to the dirt. Jack's heart broke at his sister's fruitless attempts to drag him with her to safety. Lowering his face, he yanked the shirt from her and placed a hand on her back to push her forward to get her going.

He slowly blinked and looked to the coyotes again. They were gaining ground fast, their wounds forgotten. Blood shone in their black eyes, the thought of food being their only goal. Time had been precious, and due to Pippa's stalling, they would now see her trying to get away and attack her before she even made it to the hill, regardless if he tried to distract them. And he just lay there, waiting for the coyotes to reach them and eat them both. Meanwhile, a glorious array of tall trees surrounded them. What was he thinking?!

Jack stood up and grabbed Pippa by the waist, trotting over a few paces to a giant oak tree and holding her up into its branches. "Grab it!"

She clung to the branch, swinging her little frame under another before reaching up to grab higher. Jack finished pushing her up and then looked behind his shoulder, just in time to bring his hands up and grab the snout of a coyote from clamping onto his face.

It snarled and spit all over him, slamming Jack into the tree and crouching over his body. He yelped, hitting the blasted animal across the face and kicking its stomach, scrambling quickly to his feet. He got a good hold on the branch, pulling his arms up along with his body when a sharp pain cut through one of his legs. Suddenly, he was yanked down, the wind forced out of his lungs as his chest hit the tree branch, caught only by his stick arms clinging to the wood.

"Jack!" Pippa screamed again, her eyes wide and red with tears as she sat on a higher branch.

Her brother looked up and squinted at her in a daze, the pain of the coyotes teeth sunk into his calf fogging his brain and vision. He could feel the blood dripping from his calf down his heel, and he cried out in pain as the dog whipped its head back and forth to try and force him down. Jack's arms drained to a numbing white against the bark of the limb, his breath unsteady as he locked Pippa's eyes with his. He smiled, a simple small smile. "Pippa, it's gonna be okay."

She reached her hand down as far as she could, gasping at the weight of gravity. "No, you're not!"

He stared at her, an unreasonable haze of love and pride overtaking his senses as he felt his fingers and arms slowly release their grip. He had the best sister in the world. Daggone it, here she was, had plenty of chances to get to safety, and she continually put herself out of it for him. She dangled at a high branch, the distance between them impossible for him to simply reach up and take her hand. But she reached for him anyway. Pippa only had to lean down just a little more before she lost her balance and fell out of the tree to join him as the feast of coyotes. His eyes snapped open, and his letting go stopped.

With an agonizing shout, he used his other leg to kick the coyote right in the eye, over and over. The wild dog yelped, releasing its hold just enough for Jack to rip his leg out of its teeth and retreat up into the branches in one swift movement. Up and up he climbed, joining the level his sister was at. Crouched on the branch, Jack watched as the other coyotes finally joined their comrade at the base of the tree, their aggravated snarling ringing in his ears. He plopped his rear down, letting out a long breath as his head spun.

"Jack!" Pippa squealed, reaching from the branch beside his and clamping her arms around his torso.

"Whoa whoa whoa, be careful!" Jack warned, immediately tightening his hold on her to prevent her from falling. He sighed as she sat back on her own branch.

The dogs continued to snap up at them from underneath, their noses curled in anger at their loss of dinner. Jack stuck his tongue out at them. "Yeah, you just WISH you had us for dinner. Yeah, we were nice and juicy too. That little bite from me was just a teaser, huh?" He tried to smother the shakiness in his voice with humor.

Pippa giggled, tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear before gasping. "_Your leg_!"

Jack looked down and nearly fell out of the tree. His calf had ugly teeth marks sunk into it, his skin ripped off along one side and dangling from what looked like churned hamburger. Blood flowed with every pulse of his heart, streaming across the tree branch, and dripping onto the dogs below. He wasn't sure if it was that he finally had the chance to think straight or if it was the sight of the wound registering in his mind, but the pain suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks and his stomach twisted sickeningly. Scratches and nicks he didn't even remember getting flared a bright red and throbbed. He could feel the color draining from his face due to lack of blood, replaced by the twinge color of ill green.

"You okay?"

He hissed inbetween his teeth, grabbing his leg at the knee. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Pippa voice softened to a low whisper. "I wish Pa was here."

Jack looked up at her, taking in the sadness that lined her round face. Wishing Pa was here was her was of saying that she was scared. And after all they just went through, who could blame the poor kid? But something inside Jack naturally snapped to attention. He looked up at the sky and pointed. "Look how high up we are, Pippa."

She sniffed, following his finger with her eyes. "Yeah, pretty high."

Jack smiled at her. "Pretty high indeed. Like birds are. Yeah! We're kinda like birds! Sitting in a tree, away from danger, safe and sound to enjoy the view of the pretty sunset."

Pippa caught on real quick. "If we're birds, then I'm a robin."

"A robin?" his nose wrinkled.

"Yes, a robin. They're cute and little."

He slowly took the edge of his shirt, gathering the material. "Sounds just like you. I guess it does suit you. So you're a robin. And what am I?"

She swung her legs back and forth, squinting one eye in thought. "So what are you?"

The thin material easily ripped across the bottom as his hand pulled it along. "Hmm... How about an eagle."

"You're not bald!" she laughed.

"Maybe not, but they're pretty awesome. And that's me all over," he looked up from his work, smirking.

She leaned over and punched his shoulder. "Jack, you're crazy." He chuckled, wrapping the ripped piece of material right above his knee. This would stop the bleeding. "But it is true."

Jack yanked down the two sides tightly against his skin, eyes questioning his sister. "Pippa, I was joking."

She shook her head. "I wasn't."

Jack held her gaze for a moment, the thought turning over in his head. He didn't have to believe it, but he could pretend for Pippa's sake. Then again, it felt pretty good to have his little sis say that about him. A warm smile pulled the corner of his mouth. "You're pretty awesome too."

Pippa leaned over as far as she dared, wrapping her arms around his middle. She smiled into his chest. "You're going to need a new shirt."

Observing the tears that gashed the cotton in rows and the ripped bottom, he nodded. "Yup."

"Ma won't be happy," Pippa giggled.

Jack sighed. "No. She threatened to make me sew my next shirt if I rip this one up. But... Maybe she'll reconsider, because of _how_ I ripped it."

Pippa's eyes glazed over, staring blankly at Jack's bloody leg. He could almost see the guilt dripping from her shoulders as they started to sag. Jack caught her chin before it fell to her chest, lifting it up with his finger.

"Don't start blaming yourself, little miss. You know better." His warm smile never wavered.

She sighed softly, her eyes not meeting his. "But if I hadn't-"

"Nah uh un! No buts. It was a freak accident."

A laugh suddenly flickered through her solemn expression. "Which is usual for anyone when you're around."

Jack faked shock, placing a hand on his heart and dramatically gasping. "Pippa! How could you say that?"

Pippa stuck out her tongue at him. "You know it's true."

"Yeah, well," he shrugged, "at least I'm interesting."

Silence settled down around them as the sun dipped into the ocean of the horizon. Jack glanced below them, seeing the wolves sitting at the bottom of the tree. They snarled when he made eye contact with them. Nope, they weren't going anywhere for awhile. With the disappearance of the sun came the cold, biting at their exposed skin and thin clothes. Jack started to regret not putting the long underwear on today. And if he was cold, then Pippa certainly was freezing. He reached out an arm to her, supporting as she climbed over into his lap. Darkness enveloped the woods, dragging the shadows from the trees and stretching them out on the ground beside them. Pippa yawned.

"Tired?" Jack asked her, shifting slightly under her weight.

"Yeah... I wish I could fly."

He blinked. "_Fly_?"

"Yes, fly. So we can get home, and not have to worry about the coyotes."

Jack laughed. "Oh, flying would have SO many purposes than even that.. Just imagine all the chores that would be cut short, heck even eliminated!"

Pippa huffed. "You're _ALWAYS_ trying to get out of work, Jack"

"I hate work!" Jack's arms went up for emphasis.

He looked down to find her smirking. "What else is new?"

His smirk matched hers. "You're a trip. And also my sister, which explains _that_!" He pointed to her face.

Pippa laughed, picking up his brown bangs and pulling them straight out. "You need a hair cut."

It wasn't long before Pa found them, using his gun to scare off the offending dogs. Jack and Pippa stumbled home into bed, exhausted from the day's events. Ma dressed Jack's wound, giving him a waving finger and muttering about him being the death of her. Pulling the curtain that divided their bedroom out, she left the room, bidding them a good night.

"Psst!" Jack called out in the darkened room.

"Yes?" Pippa asked.

"Lets not do that again, okay?"

Jack heard her sigh long and deep. "Agreed."

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*G*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

** Since many of you wanted me to, I decided to make this into a series of one-shots, dedicated to Jack and his sister. I'm the oldest of a whole crew of kids, so I have TONS of stuff I can write about just off the top of my head even. It will be random adventures that the two had before Jackson became Frost, and i hope you enjoy them. **

**Thanks for reading! Would a review be fun to do? 'Cause it'd be fun to have. :D**


	3. Chapter 3: Balance in Everything

The slamming of the cabin door echoed across the yard, making Jackson quicken his pace even more. He hugged the corner sharply around the barn, his bare feet slamming on the hard packed mud, and sped down the little hill to the house. He briefly glanced at the pond that sat a few paces from the door, panting as he gripped the brass handle.

"Pippa!" he exclaimed breathlessly, opening the door to find Ma and Pa standing at the table around his sister. One look at his bloody shirt, and they were on it.

"Jackson, what did you do?" His mother asked sternly, running her fingers through the little girl's hair. She sobbed into Ma's apron, powdered with white flower. She must have been making pies from the blackberries they had picked yesterday.

"Ma, I didn't do anything!" he blinked in surprise.

"Well, something certainly happened to make her so upset." Pa's finger directed his attention to the crying little girl.

"You were supposed to watch the sheep, not mess around. Jack, when are you going to learn to stick to your duties?!" The furrows on Ma's forehead indicated that this wasn't going to go well.

"Ma.. Pa! We were out there with the sheep. I swear! It just happened, and there was nothing I could do about it, and-"

The toddler lifted up her head from the apron and gave a long wail, cutting off Jack's sentence with a gulp. He had never seen her this upset. A pang in his heart restricted his breathing, his eyes filling with tears at the sight. Pippa rubbed one of her tear-flowing eyes and then dashed to the ladder that lead to the loft.

"Sweetheart!" Ma softly crooned, quickly following her to guide her way up. "Baby, what's the matter?"

"I don't wanna! I don't wanna!" and her wails consumed her speech again.

Jack froze in utter shock. In all of his twelve years (seven only counting since that was how long she had occupied his life), he never knew Pippa to get this hysterical. It just wasn't ladylike, as Ma would put it. She was raising her baby to be a young lady, of which she reminded Jack countless times when he introduced her to new ways of roughhousing. But howling like a coyote under the bright beams of Mr. Moon, he never suspected such a sound to come from those little lungs.

Pippa disappeared at the top of the loft, a thud indicating that she had flung herself into her bed directly following. Jack didn't miss the glare his Ma gave him as she ascended the wooden ladder.

"Jack."

The boy swallowed, slowly turning his gaze to his father. "Yes, Pa?"

Pa settled himself at the end of the wooden table, his usual throne when dealing with his son. Jack's hand timidly felt the coolness of the smooth surface, which was carved before he was even born, as he leaned against it with his palm for support. His bony hind hit the chair seat while he tried his best to keep his eyes on his father. His fingers nervously fished for something to fiddle with, finding the blood soiled cloth he once had as a shirt.

"What happened? Were you horsin' around again, even though I told ya to watch the sheep?" Jack opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off. "You're a shepherd boy, Jackson! If you were tending the sheep like you were supposed to, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Jack's eyes fell from Pa's, moving the red stained shirt material inbetween his fingers. He supposed he deserved this kind of reaction. In a time past, he was correctly accused for not paying attention to the sheep like he was bound to do. That had cost him as well as the family a handful of ewes. The image of the coyotes eating from their shredded wooly carcasses plagued his mind every time he lead the sheep out to pasture. No, he may horse around during a lot of things, but he had learned that particular consequence the hard way.

The gravel tone of his father made him wince. "Jackson, I want an answer. How did she get hurt?"

The boy licked his lips. "Pa, I _was_ watching the sheep, and I didn't hurt Pippa, if that's what you are saying."

"Maybe not on purpose." The older man fiddled with the golden band on his left ring finger. "But accidents happen. You of _all_ people should know."

Jack's eyes widened. "Pa, she's not hurt, why would you think I'd hurt her!"

"Goofin' off. Remember the time she broke her leg? Or how about the beehive incident? I could go down a whole list with this one, Jack."

A little fire bubbled somewhere inside of the boy. Sure, there were a few happenstances where broken bones and bruises were involved, but they didn't happen all the time. He always put himself out to make sure Pippa was safe, because he saw it as an unofficial duty of a big sibling. He couldn't help it sometimes if they got hurt while having fun. But this time, for once, they weren't.

The swell in his chest became overwhelming. He would do anything to protect his baby sister, and it was hurtful to be suspected of having done otherwise. Whether it was disrespectful or not, Jack couldn't hold back anymore. "Pa, she's not crying because she's hurt!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*G*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Jack, look!"

Jack paused in his search for a moment to look down at his sister. "I see! Those for Ma?"

Pippa held up a handful of a mixture of grass, weeds, and wildflowers right in his face. Wrinkling his nose, Jack pushed them away. "Not in my face!"

"Do you think she'll like them?" the five year old jumped up and down, several grass blades falling from her bundle as a result.

Jack put his hand over his eyes and squinted against the sun. "Oh, I know she'll love them. It's a girl thing."

His eyes swept over the field in an observant glance, the endless prairie stretching out far into the horizon. The sun showered the earth below with her light hair, highlighting the rolling grass that swayed back and forth in the wind. The woods off to the side gave an outline of the field, but then it stretched outward into a rolling ocean of green and yellow. Several white puffs dotted the canvas, moving occasionally as the sound of bleating hit the shepherd boy's ears. "Where's Susie?"

"Susie went home. She has to go take a nap," Pippa chattered in that matter if fact tone that little kids have, bending at the knees to rip more grass from their roots.

Jack chuckled. "Susie needs to stay in Jack's sight. She's due any day now."

"Is she gonna have a baby?" Pippa's arms suddenly flew up into the air.

Jack's eyes closed as he was showered with a rain of grass and flowers. So much for Ma's bouquet. Casting her a half-hearted annoyed glance, he nodded. "Yup. Which is why we need to go find her."

"I wanna go!" She quickly exclaimed, fumbling to her feet as quick as her little legs could muster. She ran up to Jack and tugged on his white sleeve. "Hold my hand?"

Jack's bigger hand swallowed his sister's, a smile tugging up one corner of his mouth at the feel of her short fingers curled around his. His chest filled with pride as he watched her lengthen her strides, sticking her legs way out to match his own as they walked. She was adorable. He hummed a song that Pa sometimes sung around the fire at night, their steps keeping in time with the beat.

"Look over there!" Pippa suddenly pointed frantically. Jack's attention turned to see a prairie dog pop its head out of a hole in the ground a few yards away. He felt Pippa's hand struggle to break free, her other arms grappling as she leaned forward. "Let me go! Let me go! I wanna catch him!"

Jack tightened his grip on her and bent to her level. "No no no " he whispered into her ear. "You don't wanna scare him, do you?"

Pippa stopped, her eyes widening in horror. "No."

"Well, listen, just watch him. If you stand really still, maybe he'll come over and talk to you." He laughed to himself, his brown eyes twinkling with humor.

"Jack, groundhogs don't talk," Pippa quipped, putting a hand on her hip.

He threw his head back, making a funny face. "Oh? Well the Easter Bunny does."

"He's a _bunny_," she shot back as she bushed back her little bonnet. It fell from her head, joining her brown braids against her back as it dangled from its strings. Jack put his staff down and took her shoulders.

"Turn around half pint," he instructed, gently making her face him before placing her pink bonnet on her head again. "Keep this on. You'll get a sunburn if you don't."

"But I don't like it," she whined, grabbing one string and yanking it loose. "It's hot, and I'm stuffy."

Jack groaned, quickly catching the bonnet before it hit the dust. "Pippa! You have to keep it on. We don't want your little head to burn." He pulled it again over her brown hair, taking the strings and wrapping it around his fingers to tie them.

Pippa huffed, sticking her chest out as she swayed back and forth, creating as much resistance as she could. "Why don't you wear a bonnet?"

Jack chuckled. "Because I'm a boy. Boy's don't wear bonnets, they wear hats."

Her lips pursed in a prissy attitude. Jack smothered a laugh as she held a finger in the air."Well, why then don't you wear a hat?!"

Jack smirked as he rolled his eyes. "Pippa, you are a regular ol' stinkpot." His mind drifted to the black wide brimmed low felt hat that hung from its perch on a nail in his room. He shuddered at the thought of having to wear it all the time one day when he was grown. It was bad enough on Sundays! Perhaps he'd be one of those wild boys and break tradition. It wasn't all that important was it?

"Jack, I see Susie!"

Giving the pink strings a sharp tug, his hands plopped to his thighs. "There. Now leave it." His fingers curled over his staff, picking it up from the ground as he stood. "Where do you see her?"

But Pippa was already running towards the sheep. Her short brown braids bounced as they slapped against her shoulders while she ran through the prairie grasses, her arms bobbing as they reached out to the side to keep her balance. She abruptly halted a few yards away, her hind end sticking out as she bent over. Kicking up his feet, Jack trotted the ground to her.

"Whoa!" Jack yelped in surprise, his eyes meeting a wooly, heavily pregnant sheep on the site, nestled in the tall grass. Susie lay on her side, her oversized abdomen heaving as she stretched her neck out to bawl painfully. "Pippa, stay back," Jack ordered, kneeling down to the sheep.

"Is she sick?" Pippa asked, her brow knitted with worry.

"Nah," Jack shook his head, a smile growing. "She's having her baby."

"And I get to watch!" Pippa squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

Jack quickly turned to grab her wrists, sliding his hands over hers to stop her clapping. "Shhh! Shh shhh! You have to be quiet and still! Susie is going through a tough time right now."

"Is she going to sleep?" Pippa cocked her head to the side.

"No, she's having her baby," Jack repeated, turning back to the sheep in labor. His hands traveled the wool as it rose and fell in rushed breaths, his already calloused young hands feeling for any abnormalities. "Yeah, you're overdue, you crazy sheep."

Susie looked at him sideways, the whites of her eyes flashing as she looked around wildly, her feet pawing against the invisible ground. Jack chuckled, his hands pressing lightly on her stomach. "You're laying sideways, silly. You ain't goin' no where at that rate." The boy checked underneath the sheep's leg and nodded quickly. "Yup, you're in full blown labor."

Susie responded in a throaty wail, her black lips curling as she bore her teeth. Pippa yanked on Jack's collar. "Jack, is she hurting?"

Ignoring the repeated cut off of oxygen, Jack gently picked up the sheep's head to discard a large rock from underneath. "Yes, Pippa, she's in pain. Having a baby isn't fun."

Her arms wrapped around his throat, blocking his breath completely. "Will the baby be white like her ma?!" She leaned on his neck with all her weight, forcing Jack to tilt backwards.

Jack coughed, gulping for air as he pried Pippa's arms off his throat. "Maybe. She might be a black or spotted lamb too, we don't know."

"Will she be big like her Pa?!" She squealed again, blindly trying to wrap her arms around Jack's neck again in her excitement, ending up having him in a headlock instead.

"Pippa! My lands, I'm trying to do something here!" Jack huffed, peeling her hands over his head. He blew the fluffed brown bangs from his eyes and focused his concentration again.

Pippa stepped back a little, putting her hands innocently behind her back. She waited a few moments in silence, deciding when she had been quiet long enough. "What are you doing?"

Jack slowly blinked. "Watching."

She tilted her head right into his face. "Watching what?"

Jack smirked, "Watching you get in my face."

She sighed impatiently, waving her hands dramatically. "Not that! What were you watching before!"

Jack's hand ran along the wool, taking note of the dampness of it. He wished they had some water, but being this far out in the field, they weren't close to the pond back in the woods by the house. "I'm watching for the baby sheep. We need to keep on eye on Susie, so we can make sure she doesn't have any complications."

Pippa bent down in the grass, her skirt poofing out from the trapped air, giving her a shape-like appearance. "Comp-.. Liction-... Ations?"

Jack nodded. "Complications. Sometimes the babies are born the wrong way."

She sighed heavily. "Well! I am going to love her no matter what she looks like!" With an upturned nose, her bonnet bounced once with finality.

Jack jabbed a finger into her side, wiggling it around as she laughed. "You are pretty certain it's a girl, aren't you?" He tackled her to the ground, laughing as she screamed from the tickling. "Shh! Pippa shhh!"

She gasped for air, smacking his hands away. "YOU are making me do it, Jack!" He chuckled, gently pushing her head as he faced his work again, Pippa lightly falling backwards from the push. "You're despicable."

He snorted. "And where did you hear that word from?"

"Anna McBride," her eyes batted triumphantly. Jack's eyes widened at the mention of his crush at school.

The chocolate brown narrowed. "Hey, that's not funny."

Pippa giggled mischievously as she scrambled up from the ground, nearly toppling over. That girl had some rusty balance. "She said you're despicable! And that means she loves you!"

His eyebrows rose. "Actually, it means quite the opposite," Jack grumbled, thoroughly NOT thrilled of where this conversation was going. He knew it was coming, he just decided to grin and bear it.

"Well you love her! Jack loves Anna! Jack loves Anna!" Pippa danced around, batting her palm against her mouth like an Indian, chanting as she circled her brother and the pregnant sheep.

Okay, maybe he didn't have to grin and bear it. This was just annoying. Jack crossed his legs and covered his ears with his hands, squeezing his eyes against the chanting. But he could still hear the loud proclamation of his sister.

"Jack loves Anna! Jack loves Anna! Jack loves-"

"Stop it, you little crawfish!" Jack roared, slamming his hands against his ears. "I do NOT love Anna!" Little sisters. Sometimes they could be _so_ annoying.

"Yes you do," Pippa sung, watching her skirt as she started twirling. "Ma said not to lie."

Face palming, Jack groaned. "Pippa, please be quiet. Susie is trying to give birth here."

Immediately she stopped, her eyes snapping up and peering over the sheep again. "Is the baby coming yet?"

Jack scooted around at the end of the sheep, cocking his head in observation. "Almost. Look! You can see it now." His finger pointed to a tiny hoof, protruding from its poor mother's body. Susie let out another scream, panting as she bleated and coughed for air. Jack timidly felt the sheep's bulging pelvis, looking up at the sky as he examined the lamb's position from the outside. Everything felt normal, except...

Jack's eyes widened as he felt his heart suddenly thud faster and heavily in his chest. He sat up straighter, stretching the sheep out as much as he could before laying his hand back where it was. Susie whimpered. "I know, Susie, it's okay. Just hang on girl." Feeling a warm bulge, his fear was confirmed. Without a second thought, he spread the sheep's legs apart and started pulling his white shirt sleeves up, wincing in disgust over his shoulder. He really didn't want to do this... But he had to.

"Jack?" came Pippa's quivering voice. "Jack, what's wrong?"

He held his breath as he gingerly fished his fingers into the birth canal. "Dah... This baby's breeched." A vapor from the blood whipped his face as his hand traveled in further, causing him to cough and hold his breath. "Yuck."

"Jack, what are you doing?!" Pippa exclaimed, grabbing his tanned forearm as it sunk deeper out of view.

"Trying to save the baby," Jack replied, his teeth gritted against the slime that squished inbetween his unseen fingers. He felt around, his fingers traveling along the lamb's backbone to find it bent at the shoulders. Not only was it breech, it was stuck. "Oh no, oh gosh no," he breathed, exploring the diameter of the canal with his other hand. "This isn't good."

"What's going on?" Pippa cried out, fear thick in her voice as she squinted in confusion.

"She's- dah!" he grunted, losing his grip on the lamb's neck inside. "She's stuck, Pippa. I'm gonna have to get her unstuck."

Pippa crawled over to Susie's face, gripping onto the sheep's neck with wide eyes. "Is she gonna die?"

Jack bit his lip. "No, half pint. She'll be okay, if I can just," he winced as he blindly struggled to move the lamb's head straightened out in the narrow canal. "If I can just get her neck loose."

Pippa sat down and cradled Susie's head in her lap, the sheep bawling as Jack pressed his hands hard against her. Pippa gently stroked the sheep's face, rocking side to side as she began softly singing. "_By baby bumpkin, Papa's gone a huntin'." _

The sheep let out another agonized bleat, Jack yelling out in frustration as he lost his grip again. "The thing won't budge!"

"_To get a bunny rabbit's skin, to wrap his little baby girl in._" Pippa sniffed, a tear dropping onto the sheep's white cheek. "_By baby bumpkin, Papa's gone a huntin'.." _

Jack gave another desperate grunt, his body shaking as he tried to pry the legs into a normal position. But they weren't moving. They just wouldn't move. The canal was too tight. Susie began to squirm, kicking her legs wildly and bawling at the top of her throat. Jack was spent sprawling to his back with a yelp. "Pippa!"

"What?" She cried, her little face streaming with tears.

Jack looked over the situation. He knew the lamb was probably already dead, and if he didn't get it out, Susie was definitely going to die. He needed that sheep to stay still. Furthermore, he needed Pa to keep her still, but Pa was all the way at home plowing the field. And Pippa was definitely too little to hold a bucking sheep to the ground. Struck with an idea, he whipped off the twine that held his pants up around his thin waste. "Pippa, give me your bonnet!"

Slowly, Pippa removed her pink bonnet and held it out, Jack snatching it as he caught sight of it. He quickly tied Susie's front legs together with the twine, and her back legs with the bonnet strings.

"Jack!" Pippa wailed, clutching the sheep's whipping head as he resumed his former position.

"Pippa, just hang on, it'll be over in a minute." Gently forcing both of his hands into the birth canal, he crouched above the sheep enough to give him leverage and found the lamb's neck, pulling as hard as he could. Feeling at his fingertips a sickening snap, the neck came loose.

"Thank God!" He panted, stretching out the lower legs and pulling them towards the opening. His wrists began to reappear, red and sticky from the blood, as he pulled, hoping that the sheep's body would help him in contracting. With one final oomph, the lamb suddenly slid out, Jack landing on his butt with the small bluish sack between his parted legs. Quickly, he ripped open the birth bag.

His eyes closed tightly, his head bowing in defeat. Jack tenderly picked up the lamb's limp head, cupping its tiny muzzle with trembling hands. Tears pricked his eyes painfully as his throat swelled with a lump.

"Is she okay?" Pippa whispered, wiping her eyes with her hand. Susie lay still in her lap, panting and heaving from lack of energy.

Jack slowly looked up from the dead lamb, the sadness in his young heart overflowing through his soul. How was he supposed to tell her? "Jack?" Came her soft voice again.

Jack sniffed, slowly shaking his head as a bead of sweat trickled down his cheek. "No, Pippa. The baby's gone."

Pippa's eyes widened, a fresh set of tears glossing them over as they bore into Jack's own brown eyes. "She's..." her lip trembled, "... Dead?..." Jack's breath hitched in his throat, his neck aching as it moved in a nod. Pippa suddenly stood, Susie's head falling to the ground. "No! She's not dead!" She stomped over to Jack, grabbing the lamb's little leg before Jack could pull it away. But as soon as she touched it, she let go.

It was so cold. It was so still, and stiff. Stillborn, Jack concluded as he looked up into Pippa's eyes. His heart lurched with pain as he beheld the sadness flooding into those huge brown orbs. Pippa whipped her head to the side, a firm frown creasing her face. And then she was gone.

"Pippa!" Jack shouted, frantically putting the stillborn lamb down on the grass and jumping to his feet to chase after his sister. But Susie's cries made him stop in his tracks. He couldn't just leave the sheep. Then again, he couldn't just let his sister run off like that on her own. He growled in irritation, whipping around to the bound sheep.

He untied the twine and the soiled bonnet as fast as he could, throwing them to the side. Susie was already struggling to get up, so he went on the other side of her and snaked his arms underneath. "Come on, ol' gal. Come on, get up!"

He puffed, wincing as he lifted the sheep up with all of his might. He dug his bare feet into the ground, lightly moaning as he finally got the ewe to its feet, panting as he flopped to the ground. Susie almost toppled over onto him, her legs wobbly and weak from exhaustion. Jack gently prodded her from behind, eagerly trying get her going forward to keep her on her feet. When the sheep finally moved, he sighed audibly and loud, running a bloody hand through his hair. Taking his vest off, he tenderly draped it over the dead lamb, saying a brief apology for leaving so abruptly and promising to come later to properly take care of it. He gave the prairie a quick overview and groaned. Where was Pippa? She wasn't in sight anymore.

Jack then took off along the path to the house, past the barn and past the pond, hearing the door slam. It was there that a few moments later, he found himself at one end of the table, his Pa on the other.

"So, Jack.. Is the lamb still out there?" Pa asked, his voice significantly softer now that he heard what had happened.

Jack nodded. "Yes, Pa. I'll go burry it as soon as you're through."

His Pa chewed his lip, his mustache wriggling like a black worm above his lip. "I'll do it, son. You've been through a lot today, why don't you wash up. You need it."

Jack followed his father's gaze to his shirt, taking in the bright red that splattered and blotched the cotton fabric. Well, so much for that shirt. But ah well, Ma surely couldn't be too mad about it. His eyes fell to his hands, lightly gasping as he saw them. They looked as though he had dipped them in a pot of crushed raspberries, dark red and crusted with drying blood. Jack immediately got up and rushed outside.

Running to the pond, Jack knelt at the base of it and stuck his hands into the cold water, sighing with relief as it cooled and calmed his stressed senses. Dipping them in over and over and rubbing them together, he successfully washed off every bit of the blood, a cloud of red slowly dissipating as the water's tiny waves rippled into each other. The boy then took off his soiled shirt, his tanned back relishing the sun's warm rays. Running the shirt through the water, he got rid of as much blood from it as he could, wringing it out and draping it over a rock once through. He finished with a quick splash to his face, and then ran back inside, passing by his Pa as he explained to Ma in hushed tones what had happened, a shovel gripped in his rough hands.

"Pippa," Jack breathed, gripping the ladder as he ascended it to their loft. He crawled to the top, immediately trekking the floor to Pippa's bed. "Pippa. Little lady, look at me, please."

"No!" she wailed from inside her pillow, causing Jack to jump.

"Would you just look at me? I want to explain to you what happened."

"No, leave me alone!" Her little fist pounded the straw mattress with every word.

Jack winced at her, his heart stopping as she sobbed louder. The poor girl, it was the first time she ever faced anything dead. And did it have to be a baby lamb? Jack's eye caught movement outside, watching as his father shuffled toward the field with the sheep, shovel in hand. Apparently so. Life was so cruel sometimes. He had witnessed the death of many young lambs through his Pa's dealing with sheep his whole life, and it was never any easier to get through than it was the first time. Just the idea of such a young life being snatched away before even given the chance to stand on its own legs made his head cloudy. No, life wasn't fair sometimes. But heck... It's what makes the breath you have all the more to be thankful for.

Jack gently placed now clean hands under his sisters ribcage and lifted her up, turning her around to face him. He quickly caught her cheeks before she could rip away from him. "Listen, Pippa, I know you're mad at me for what happened."

The little girls's eyes spilled again with tears as she tried to yank free from her brother. But Jack had both hands cupping her round face, his eyes reaching into hers. "Listen to me."

Pippa stopped at something, seeing a slight glitter in Jack's eyes. She slowly gave up the twisting and looked up at him with an intrigued expression. Jack gently placed a kiss on her forehead between her cute bangs. "I did everything I could, half pint. Sometimes life just isn't fair."

She sniffed, her lip quivering as she fought the new bought of tears. Jack wrapped his arms around her little body, pulling her into his chest. She gripped onto his bare arms, crying softly into his shoulder. Jack patiently stroked her brown hair, now matted and sticking out in odd amounts from her braids.

"I know you didn't mean to. It's just so sad," he heard her whisper, hiccuping once as she began to finally settle down.

"I know, Pippa," Jack replied just as soft, looking down to see Pippa's watery eyes peeking up at him.

"Why did she have to die?" she whispered, another hiccup briefly shaking her frame.

Jack inhaled deeply, struck at the profoundness of the question his sister had asked. Who was he to answer such a question, he wasn't even a teenager yet. How Pippa always imagined that he had all the answers, he would never get. "Well," he drawled, swirling his spit in thought. "It's never out of purpose, what happens in life. And death."

She blinked, a few stray tears falling from her eyes. Jack caught them, gently wiping them away. "You see, there's a balance for everything. Where there's bad, good is just around the corner to make it all better." He bit his lip, looking out the window into the sky. Although it was still in the bright hours of the day, he could already see the moon hung out in the evening sky. "The baby lamb died, but guess what?"

Pippa sniffed again, a moment of silence following before she meekly asked, "What?"

Jack gazed back down at her, tucking some stray hair behind her ear. "We still have Susie."

She was frozen for a moment as she seemed to ponder that truth. Then she nodded slowly. "Yes, Jack. We have Susie still."

Jack nodded, "Mhm, and she'll have another baby, and the other sheep with give birth to lambs, we'll have a bunch of new babies, and everything will be alright."

Pippa giggled weakly, looking up at her brother once before burying her face into his bare chest. Jack continued to comb his fingers through her hair, relieved that she was calming down.

"Pippa where there is death, there is always a new life to take its place."

Pippa nuzzled into him closer, her breathing becoming steady as she slipped off into an exhausted sleep. Jack smiled down at her, simply thankful that all was well again.

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**So I got myself some Nutella today and ate it with a spoon, and felt a little better. Then this idea popped in me brain. **

**Hope ya'll enjoyed! I still don't own anything, so. And a big THANK YOU to those who have read/reviewed/followed this story so far. You guy are da bomb. **

**Please leave a review? Pretty please? :) **


	4. Chapter 4: Older Brother

Jackson wiped his eyes, sniffing as he curled more into himself. Another sob unwillingly shook his broadening shoulders, their recent growth in length causing his movements to stretch against the leather cloak he wore. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he didn't feel like he had the strength to help it.

He heard the cow moo as she shuffled in the stall underneath of him. He could see a bit of her cream colored hide through the wooden boards of the loft floor, fragments of the hay that took half of the space up here falling as he moved his feet closer in. He rested his head sideways on his knees, gripping his arms around his bent legs in determination. He needed to stop being a baby, and knock off the water works. But as those words attacked his mind again, his eyes squinted shut as he hid his face in his knees, another sob escaping his lips. Why couldn't he be enough?

Jack considered himself to be a pretty good brother, always making it a point to be there when Pippa needed him. Granted, they did have their moments like all siblings do, but for the most part he prided himself on their relationship, having a peaceful connection between them. He thought he and Pippa were okay, until that morning after breakfast when he and she went into the little village for school.

Jack had his lunchpail in one hand and his spelling book in another, swinging his arms dramatically back and forth. He was going to turn 17 next week, and for that he was excited. Birthdays meant homemade doughnuts, the cream from that morning's milk, sleeping in as late as he wanted to, no chores, and maybe a gift from Ma and Pa. Aye, birthdays were super fun.

The forest was gorgeous at this time of year. At the beginning of spring, the trees blossomed white, pink, even light purples in their growing hair of leaves. A light breeze almost always blew through the trees, rattling the newborn grass on the ground. Animals had become more common to see, squirrels shooting in every direction from their trees, deer strolling through the thickets, and hundreds of tadpoles scurrying around the pond at home.

He glanced over his shoulder, making sure his sister was still behind him. She followed him from a few paces back at a ladylike pace, taking equal steps and holding her books close to her chest. Her blue flower print bonnet hung over her eyes as a shield against the spring sun. The metal lunch pail cackled as it swung from her elbow against her legs. Jack swung his body around, walking backwards with ease.

"Ya know, at this rate we're going to be late."

Pippa peaked out from under her bonnet. "That's why I _wanted_ to leave earlier."

Jack smirked, observing the precise way her little feet walked. "You are acting very grown up this morning."

Pippa frowned. "I am not. But Ma did tell me that she wants me to act more like a lady."

Jack blew a raspberry, suddenly forced to catch his balance as a rock tripped his feet.

"Jack, turn around and walk straight."

"But Ma!" Jack snickered, raising his voice to sound like a little kid. Pippa stomped forward and punched his arm, gaining a laugh from him. "Whoa ho! Ladies don't do that!"

"I'm not your ma, I'm your sister." She stuck her tongue out.

Jack smirked, his eyes rolling upward. "Yeah, my 10 year old little sister morphing into a version of my Ma."

"Hey! Ma is a wonderful person to be like." Her braids bounced as she flipped her nose into the air.

He sputtered. "Well, yeah! I'm just saying that you're getting older. Acting older. And I'm the older one here." His lips curled into a smirk.

Pippa giggled. "Jack, you're crazy. I honestly think you won't ever grow up."

Jack shrugged, looking up at the sky thoughtfully. "Probably not."' He suddenly yelped as the back of his head met with the bark of a tree, his whole backside slamming into it with the full speed of his pace.

"Told you to turn around," Pippa smirked, stopping in front of her brother.

Jack rubbed the back of his head, wincing at the pain. "Good gravy, that wasn't very nice."

Pippa grabbed his sleeve and pulled him around the tree and forward. "Come on, we're going to be late." Biting back a snarky comment, Jack obediently followed.

They soon came into the very tiny town, walking along the main path beaten by wagons and horses. The basic shops served also as homes, family owned businesses that had set up with the rest of the caravan that hoped to eventually prosper into a city. They were all their own sources for what they needed, sharing and trading with each other to meet ends meet. Fire pits were placed about the middle, the town's source of light and heat at night. Jack kicked up the dust as he shuffled his feet by a dead pit, admiring the swirls of the dust and ashes as it rose. He glanced over at Pippa, smiling when she dusted off her brown skirt.

A loud clattering sound vibrated through the village. Jack's eyes snapped forward and he hopped to a faster pace. "Come on, Pippa!"

"Wish that we just went earlier now?" She asked as she was yanked forward by her running brother.

They crossed the path to the schoolhouse in the blink of an eye, Jack's long legs serving as excellent propellers. He released Pippa when they reached the steps and rammed into Piper, his best friend, as they ascended. Piper was thrust into the black metal railing, Jack laughing as he pushed himself off.

"Jack! Dah, why'd you do that?" Piper whined, holding his ribcage.

"Because you're my friend." Jack grinned.

Piper scoffed. "Oh, so since friends show their friendliness by violence, then.. Here!" And his fist went right into Jack's nose.

Jack cried out in pain, bending over as he held his nose. "Piper! You jackass!"

Piper smirked, grabbing Jack's vest by the collar and straightening him. "You are the jackass, Jack. And I didn't even hit you that hard."

Jack winced, ducking his head into the doorway. "Says the one who threw the punch."

Pippa tugged on his shirt from behind, a worried look in her eyes, and whispered, "You alright?"

Jack paused a moment, and grinned behind his hand. "Of course, little lady. You know us boys, always roughhousin'."

"Alright, class, time to begin!" Came the teacher's voice loud and clear above the chatter. Pippa quickly dashed to her desk in the middle of the room, sitting beside her own best friend, Mary.

Jack slipped into his own in the back, giving a final sniff before setting his lunch pail under the seat. Ma had packed him a piece of bread with a slice of ham from the night before. His mouth watered as he contemplated how delicious it would be. While bent over, his eyes traveled across the aisle from him to a black pair of shoes that were almost completely hidden by a purple skirt. He slowly sat up, straightening his gaze back to the teacher as he tried to curb the fluttery feeling his stomach suddenly had.

"Alright, class. We will begin with arithmetic."

Jack perched his bare feet up on the bar under his desk and grabbed his little white chalk stick, dutifully taking out his slate. But his eyes betrayed him as they tugged again to his right, landing on the flowing brown locks of a pale skinned girl. She wore a white blouse today, fluffed and full at the top, with a black velvet belt around her waste. Her hair was held back from her face by a headband, the color matching her skirt perfectly. Jack felt himself inwardly sigh, the name continually coursing through his brain..._ Anna, Anna, Anna._.

Dang, she was pretty..

"Jackson, please answer the following times table questions."

Jack snapped out of his thoughts and blinked stupidly at the teacher. "Huh, what?"

Her rosy, plump cheeks withheld a smile. "Jack, if you would please direct your attention to the assignment I have asked of you, then our classroom will continue in its day of peace and tranquility."

Getting the memo, Jack swallowed and nodded quickly, standing up from his seat. "Yes, Ma'am. I'm sorry."

The teacher smiled. "That's alright, Jack. Now please recite your times tables of the number twelve."

Before he knew it, recess had come, and he was jumping up from the wooden desk and dashing out the door. One thought occupied his mind, the same one that occurred to him during science period and had bugged him since yesterday. With a bounce in his step, he turned his feet towards the woods.

"Hey, stickboy, wanna play some ball?"

Jack turned on his heel to face Tom Butcher. The fellow 16 year old was a little shorter than Jack, and as fat as a stuffed turkey. The comical picture of him standing there with a sling holding his broken arm made Jack grin. He waved his hand. "Nah, I'm good. I'm off to the woods."

"Taking a dump?" Tom laughed, giving his two fellows a high five.

Jack lowered his head sideways, smiling. "No, that's what the outhouse is for. They say that it's safer than the woods. Less things to bite you, scratch you, and cause a rash. Apparently, though, you have more of a chance meeting a snake in the outhouse than you do the woods. So, I actually would look into latter the option of if I were you."

Tom's friend, Billy, sneered. "Oh ho, nice one. Tom, that was too much, give him a punch!"

Tom crossed his arms, his pudgy face turning a bright red as he recalled the snake incident in the outhouse last year, courtesy of Jack's own sister. His knuckles cracked as he pressed them into his palms. "I'm gonna snap you, twig."

Jack looked up calmly. "I'd be careful, Tom. I've already broken your arm once."

He chuckled to himself as the other two dummies gaped, and walked away, leaving the delinquents dumbfounded. He wandered into the woods, looking around anxiously at the ground. For something he never thought he'd ever look for. Something that he just knew she would like. Flowers. Girls like flowers right? Ma always did. So of course, Anna _had_ to like these white wild flowers that dotted the forest floor. Jack grinned as he bent at the knees to pick them.

"So, then he threw me in the water! And I was so mad at him, I just wanted to punch him!" Jack stood up at the sound of voices accompanying the crunching of leaves. "But Ma told me to be a lady and stop playing around like a reckless colt."

"Well you know, Pippa," Anna's melodic voice rang out, "he does mean well. As you know from firsthand experience, all he ever has tried to do is keep you smiling."

He heard Pippa giggle. "Yeah."

Jack silently stepped over behind a large tree, poking his head out to see if they had spotted him. He saw the girls' hair flowing down their backs as they walked forward, stopping at a particularly large boulder and sitting down. Anna turned Pippa gently to the side and then untied the bonnet that graced Pippa's brown hair, slipping it off of her head.

"So, what's the problem, Hon'?" she asked.

Pippa sighed. "Well... I don't know if I should say it." Her voice was low and tentative. Troubled.

Jack frowned at his sister's hesitancy. He didn't know that anything was bothering her, she had let on no indication of that this morning. Sure, she was a little more quieter than usual during milking, but he had chocked it up to it being early in the morning.

"Pippa, you can tell me anything."

Despite himself, Jack felt a twinge of jealousy prick his heart. That was his place, being there for his sister. No, he couldn't always understand her, and quite frankly he thought girls to be very complicated emotionally. But he still was always there when she needed to talk to someone, and he always listened. Watching someone else play that role just didn't feel right.

"Well.." Pippa drawled, as Anna began combing her hair out with her fingers. "Sometimes I wish.."

Anna listened quietly, focused on twisting Pippa's hair into a french braid. Jack's breath was caught in his throat, earnestly eager to hear what was troubling her so that he could make it better later on.

"Sometimes I wish I had an older sister." Pippa slowly turned her head to face Anna. "Like you."

The world suddenly grew darker, uncertain of it being because of the sun disappearing behind the clouds a moment, or the utter horror that had begun filling Jack's heart. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. Was he hearing this? Was he really hearing this? Certainly Pippa didn't mean that.

"Sometimes it's hard. Ma is constantly telling me to shape up, act more ladylike, stop messing around like Jack. But, Anna, I can't help it! Jack gets to playing with me and of course I play too."

His breathing became heavier, painful as the air moved in and out slowly.

"Sometimes I just wish I had an older sister." Pippa's head bowed, her hair draping over the view of her face. "To help guide me and just show me what to do, how to do it."

Anna placed a hand on her back and rubbed soothingly. "Jack loves you, Pippa. And he would give anything for you."

"I know... Which is why I am ashamed to think of anything otherwise. But it's just hard. I feel like I'm all on my own sometimes. And it's scary because you only have one chance to grow up into a person you want to be."

Jack gritted his teeth as the tears started to spill from his eyes. He couldn't stand to listen anymore and fled into the woods on light feet, the flowers floating gracefully to the ground as he released them.

He didn't understand why he wasn't enough, he couldn't understand why he wasn't enough. He always, always, always was there for her! Heck he risked his life for her multiple times, and saved hers even more. But to have her still feel even the least bit lonely grated against his soul. He was giving his best, yet it wasn't enough.

"Jack?" Jack's head snapped up, cutting off his sobs as he heard Pippa walk into the barn. "Jack? You out here?"

Jack wiped his eyes over and over, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him weak. "Yeah, Pippa?" His voice was a bit thick, so he cleared it nervously.

"Ma said it's time for supper."

Jack peered over the edge of the loft, feeling the edge of his cloak drape down over his body. "Okay Pippa," he gave her a smile. "I'm comin'."

Pippa's head tilted sideways. "You okay?"

Jack stood and swung his feet to the ladder. "Yeah. What makes you ask that?"

Pippa paused. "Your eyes are puffy.. like you've been crying."

Jack chuckled nervously. "Crying? Now why would I be crying, Pippa?" He hopped off the ladder to the straw in front of his sister. "Life is too fun to sit around and cry."

Pippa eyed him a moment before shrugging. "Okay, Jack. Whatever you say."

They left the barn, Jack heaving the barn door shut with a click of the latch. "What's for supper?"

Pippa smiled. "Cabbage and potatoes and sausage."

Jack hummed in delight. "Yummy yummy!" Pippa giggled, walking alongside him.

He sighed softly, wiping the remains of the wetness in his eyes. There was nothing he could do about it anyway. He certainly wasn't going to confront Pippa about it, afraid that she would blame herself and become more upset. No, all he could do was get his cry out, suck it up, and just keep trying his best. Maybe he WAS slipping up in some places, ways he didn't know about. He coursed through his mind, finding multiple times he could have not acted like a goober, or paid more attention to how she fixed her hair to compliment her, or stayed up later with her instead of falling asleep while they were still talking. Dang it... He could really afford to step it up big time.

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a small warm hand slip into his, looking down in surprise at the wide brown eyes of the girl. Jack smiled warmly, the love he had for her swelling in his chest and curling around his fingers as they closed over hers. He loved his sister. And at least she knew he was there.

No matter what, he would still keep trying. If he slipped up in the past, you know, so what. Just keep on going and do better next time. He knew he could never fully express how much pride he had in being there for Pippa. But even if she didn't have that older sister to help her into the ways of womanhood...

She at least had an older brother who would give his life to protect her.

Jack glanced up at the darkening sky, admiring the beauty of the pink and purples that highlighted the clouds. The moon shone, big and bright, the pale face smiling down at them. He gently squeezed her hand as they made their way to the house, listening intently to her chatter away about her day.

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**(I dunt own anythin.)**

**Well that one wasn't quite as exciting, but it was a vent. But don't worry, I have more interesting head-cannons and stuff to come, if you'd like it. School is finally over, and my brain is slowly coming back to life. Very. Slowly. **

**Thank you for reading! Leave a review... ? :) **


	5. Chapter 5: Bly, Bly Again

Heart pounding in his chest, Jackson ran right up to the beast, grabbed his sister, and yanked her back and both went sprawling onto the ground behind them.

"Pippa, run!" Immediately the girl stood and took off across the field, hitting the grass, and rolling under the fence. Jack glanced behind and blew a sigh a relief. She was safe.

An angry neigh brought his attention back. He wasn't safe. Taking a few steps back, he kept his eyes on the horse before him and his hands stayed at his sides. The horse kicked its feet in the air with a cheeky look in its eye, making as much noise as it could as he practically circled the boy.

"You don't scare me," Jack told her calmly. "If I were scared, I wouldn't be standing here."

The horse arched its neck, trotting off several yards and turning its back to him, signalizing some kind of victory. The corners of the boy's mouth smirked as the horse bent its head down to eat.

"Jack, wait! Don't try it again!" Pippa yelled from the other side of the fence.

He chuckled. "Don't worry. It'll be alright."

Coming up behind but staying at a respectful distance from the back hooves, Jack crouched on the ground and watched the black and white paint. She munched determinedly on the grass, one eye stayed on the skinny teenager.

He quietly looked over her round rump, the graceful valley of her back, and the defined bones in her legs. Her black and white blotches made her nothing short of beautiful, the hair in her mane and tail even delicately colored. Pa had bought her cheap, no one in town having been interested in a Mustang. Mustangs were destructive, cheeky, opinionated beasts. But the man needed money for his family, and Pa couldn't refuse being kind to his neighbor.

Bly, whom Pippa had adored the moment she saw her, suddenly picked up her head and walked further away from him. Jack chuckled to himself and followed, crouching down again in the same position.

Pippa was ecstatic when Pa brought Bly home. Horses had always been a means for work and work alone for those who didn't have much. So, when Pa led a spunky mare without a lick of training to the homestead one day, Ma had put her hands on her hips.

"What on earth, Abel?! Where did you get that animal?!"

Pippa jumped up and down excitedly. "It's a horsie, Ma! He got us a horsie!"

Explaining the situation, Pa calmly revealed his plan of perhaps one day making a cart pony out of her. Bly had chosen that moment to yank away from his hands, Pa then getting a rope burn and minor whiplash as he struggled to hold on. Ma's eyes narrowed.

"That beast has no sliver of respect in him. You outta take him back."

"No! Please don't!" Pippa pleaded. "I'll take care of her! I'll feed her and comb her and clean out her stall! I'll do anything!"

Ma sighed. "No, Pippa. That horse is dangerous, and I will not have your pretty little head hurt because of such foolishness."

Bly then chose a golden moment again to lift her head in an impatient neigh and stomp her hooves.

"He's not even trained, since when did it occur to you that you'd be able to get on that thing and train it with that back of yours?"

"I don't know, honey. I just thought it might be fun for the kids, and Jason needed the money…" Pa gave a weak shrug before turning away from the house again. "I suppose I could go see if Nelson wants him for his boy."

Pippa's eyes filled with tears, ducking her head as she ran into the barn.

It was then that Jack eagerly perked up. "I'll do it Ma!" Dashing from his view at the window, he had knocked over the rocking chair, the broom, and tripped over the door at his mother's feet in his haste. "Ow... I'll do it!"

Ma pointed a finger at him. "Jackson Overland, the last thing I want is to have your head kicked off by a loco horse."

"She won't kick it off! Bly just needs a bit of guidance, a little nudge in the right direction."

Her brow raised and her nose scrunched at catching a word. "... Bly?"

Jack nodded, shuffling up from the floor. "Yes, that is what I'm naming her."

Ma sighed as she looked from her son to her husband, who merely shrugged with a smile on his face. Huffing, she wiped her hands on her apron. "I wash my hands of the matter." And with that, she turned on her heel and went inside.

Bly saw her trainer yet again crouched behind her, blowing her nostrils in annoyance and trotting yet again to another patch of grass.

Jack chuckled. "You have plenty of time to eat all this grass. No sense in trying to gobble it all up at once."

The horse simply continued eating, Jack feeling thoroughly ignored.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, ye silly pony." Jack rose to his feet and came around at an angle to her face.

Bly lifted her head and looked at him a moment, pieces of grass sticking out from her chewing jaws. Jack glanced at her hooves and observed the ropes dangling dangerously near them.

"Now listen," he spoke calmly, walking closer, "I don't want to hurt you. You know that. I'm trying to prevent you from being hurt. So let me just.." He slowly leaned down and picked up the ropes. "Just let me take these away from your hooves so you don't step on 'em."

Bly didn't flinch as Jack picked up the ropes that dangled from the bit in her mouth, and carefully patted her neck. He smiled at her serenity.

"That's it. That's a good lass." Jack began to wrap the reins around her neck again, tying them at the withers.

"No, Jack! Don't get on her again! She just almost threw me!" Pippa called out from the fence again.

Jack smiled. "You were pulling too hard on the reins. She didn't know what it was you were asking her to do."

Huffing, Pippa climbed up on the fence and sat on the top board. "If something happens to you, Ma will whip your hide."

"If something happens to me, she'll have nothing to whip." He smirked, working his hands around the horse's flank and shoulders soothingly.

Pippa grew an annoyed expression. "Then she'll probably skin you as a throw rug then."

He laughed as he gathered the reins at her withers. "Probably. But listen, you have to just get back up and ride anyway. That's life, half pint"

"Jackson, you're crazy. Don't you _dare_ get back on! I'll tell Ma if you do!"

"Now, about that logic," he drawled, turning towards her direction a moment. "I can get right back ya on that one. Ma told you on strict orders not to ride Bly till she was tamed. Yet, I just got done saving you from getting your neck broken."

Her little cheeks tinted red cutely. "You wouldn't."

He laughed. "I would!" And with ease, he bounced off his right foot and swung his left up over Bly's back.

The horse immediately tensed as still as a statue. Pippa's heart raced as she gripped the fence nervously and watched. Jack blew in and out slowly, focusing on the horse's muscles under him. He had to keep his cool. If he gave off any vibe of nervousness, Bly would pick up on it immediately and use it to her advantage. After a few moments of standing still, Bly blew out a sigh through her nostrils and and relaxed. Jack felt her and blew out a breath as well.

"Good girl," he praised, patting her mane. Gently, he squeezed her sides with his legs.

Pippa held her breath as the horse started walking forward. Bly seemed calm enough, turning when Jack asked her to, stopping and going at his command. But she was unpredictable, just as any horse.

"See, Pippa? I told you she would be alright." Jack grinned ear to ear at his progress. Giving her sides a little kick, he ventured to go into a trot.

That did it. Bly huffed loudly, gathering her energy and jumping forward with a buck. Jack yelped, bracing his hands against her neck to prevent getting a mouthful of mane as he was forced forward. His legs clutched around her sides, his whole frame tensing as she whipped to the side and bucked again.

"Jack!" Pippa screamed.

Jack formed a response in his head but couldn't transfer it to his lips. His mind went into a foggy state as the reins slipped enough to where Bly had her head, and his increased foot pressure enclosing her sides didn't make things better. Bly bucked and threw herself about, Jack's focus solely on the feeling of her muscles contracting and relaxing underneath so he could brace himself for the next move she made.

Oh how he wanted to let go. Just to let go, hit the sweet stationary ground, and crawl away from the crazy critter all the way to his comfy bed. But he couldn't; because he knew if he gave into Bly's stubborn rebellion, they would have twice the problem later to correct. She would get the idea in her thick skull that if she gave a little resistance, Jack would back off. And everything they had worked on so far would go to pot.

Not to mention, there was the probability of getting trampled once he fell off, and Ma wouldn't exactly appreciate that either.

So, Jack held on for dear life, riding the bucks and praying he wouldn't slip. Bly's hide grew wet with sweat, the humidity rising from her like a cloud. Jack's muscles were numb and jelly-like, resulting in worrying him if he'd feel if he were actually slipping or not. That saddle for sale in the Wilson's store started looking mighty appealing to him, despite the fact he would have to work for years to pay it off.

Especially as all his 15 previous years of life flashed before his eyes as he was thrust forward, over the sabino's head, and right into the hard ground that appeared so sweet a moment ago. A few hours later, Bly found herself pinned in a stall in the barn, Ma muttering over sewing a new shirt, and Jack in his bed with several large cuts and bruises.

He groaned as he tried to turn over on his side, the pain shooting up his spine from his bruised hips and ribs. The doc had declared nothing broken, thank goodness, but that he would certainly be sore for a while. After about an hour of begging and walking around to ensure Ma that he was fine, he convinced her _again_ not to sell the horse.

"Ma, if you just give up on things, then what's the point in tryin' anything?"

Giving her son a thoughtful glance, she sighed. "I suppose you're right. But absolutely NO riding until you're all healed up."

Jack turned toward the creaking of the wooden ladder that lead up to their bedroom and smiled when Pippa's face came into view. "I brought you some lemonade. Ma let me make some because you weren't feeling well." She finished her ascent and walked over to his bedside.

"Thank you," he nodded gratefully, taking the lemonade and giving it a sip. "Tastes good, half pint."

Pippa sighed and sunk onto the bed. "Why do I always get you hurt?"

Pausing a moment, he swirled the lemonade in his cup thoughtfully. "You don't get me hurt. I get myself hurt."

"Because of what _I_ do, or _I_ say, or whatever…" Her hair ashamedly fell over the view of her face.

He gave a chuckle. "No, I choose to do something about what you _say_, or _do_, or _whatever_." A smirked played on his lips. "Besides, one of the biggest things to learn in life is never giving up. Some folk think I'm obnoxious because I keep at crazy things. But heck, I keep at 'em because I can't stand not trying. Call me stubborn, but I honestly, I couldn't live with myself if I just gave up on Bly."

Pippa looked up at him slowly and cracked a smile. "You're stubborn…"

Jack laughed. "Aye, that be true. But look at where it gets me."

"In a bed with a body covered in bruises?" she questioned with a raised brow.

"That is true in this case, isn't it? But not what I was referring to." Gently, he picked up her little hand and held it in his calloused one. "It gets me on a bed full of bruises, with my little sis bringing me lemonade. That's where it gets me."

Pippa smiled warmly, gently squeezing his hand. "Thank you, Jack."

Giving her hand a little peck, he smiled back. "We'll tame Bly. We will."

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*G*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**Hoped ya liked it! I've ridden many a wild horse, and I just LOVE the head-cannon of Jack riding. In fact, I might do more on the subject if you like this one. Haha! But I am sorry I have been away for a while! I got thrown into nursing training. Haha! It's exciting as it sounds! :D**

**So a big shout out and thank you to all who have reviewed and have read me story. As usual, you guys rock.**


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